India’s MAD insanity

A history lesson for those baying for blood across the border

In the wee hours of Sunday, September 18, 2016, heavily armed assailants targeted an army base in north Kashmir and killed 17 soldiers, triggering calls for a swift retaliation that could squeeze the space for any détente between India and Pakistan.

According to Indian media reports, the dawn raid surprised soldiers in their sleep as attackers lobbed grenades and set fire to a building. The blaze killed 12 troopers and the rest died in gunfight. TV images showed helicopters flying to evacuate the wounded and smoke billowing from the mountainous base at Uri, which houses about 12,000 troops.

At the drop of a hat, Indian Home Minister blamed Pakistan for the attack and demanded retaliation by Indian troops.

This scribe participated in a number of talk shows on Indian TV Channels, where hawks, baying for blood, in a belligerent mood demanded swift action against Pakistan. They were reminded that India should not jump to conclusions and wait for the investigation report to come to light. Typical of past false flag operations, the Uri attack too smacks of an inside job.

Only four days earlier, a similar assault took place in the Poonch district of Jammu and Kashmir, where allegedly four “terrorists” were killed. Indian sources claim that the warning for a possible attack on Uri had been issued but apparently it was ignored.

The Indian Army Director General Military Operations (DGMO) contacted his Pakistani counterpart on the hotline and discussed the latest situation along the Line of Control (LOC). Refuting unfounded and premature Indian allegation, the Pakistani DGMO asked his counterpart to share actionable intelligence. He also reiterated that no infiltration is allowed from Pakistani soil because water tight arrangements were in place all along on both sides of the LOC/Working Boundary.

Indians claim that the assailants carried along with their arms and ammunition a mission plan which was annotated in Pashto. They also present some weapons with Pakistani markings as evidence of Pakistan’s involvement. These are flimsy pieces of evidence, which can be rigged easily.

On December 5, 2014, 31 Field Regiment Ordnance Camp at Mohra in Uri sector of Baramulla was attacked in which 11 Indian soldiers were killed. Forces should have been on high alert. More importantly, the population of Uri has a Hindu majority, where it is nigh impossible for infiltration sans a false flag operation being choreographed. Indian media itself has pointed out that possibly the tents where Indian troops were sleeping, caught fire and Indian authorities decided to turn the mishap into a “Terror Attack” to hide their own negligence.

With Pakistan bent upon exposing Indian atrocities in Indian Occupied Kashmir, where over a hundred Kashmiris have been martyred, it is probable that India chose to stage the Uri attack to depict Pakistan as a perpetrator of the attack.

India is smarting to take punitive action against Pakistan and deliver a telling blow. They give the example of the supposed surgical strikes in Myanmar. Some Indian armchair pundits talk about the Cold Start Doctrine, which was developed to carry out a Blitzkrieg style assault on Pakistan and bring it to its knees.

Such bellicose warmongers must take cognizance of the lessons of history. They should pay heed to the harrowing account presented by BehramNam (Special Advisor to Indian PM Rajiv Gandhi), who wrote an article on General Zia-ul-Haq’s visit to India. Readers may recall that in late 1986-87, Indian Army Chief General Sunderjee launched a major Army exercise in Rajasthan. This was the biggest military exercise since World War II and far more extensive than any NATO exercise. It was apparent that India was planning to attack Pakistan, especially in the Reti-Rahimyar Khan area in the Rajasthan sector, and sever it in two. Indian naval amphibious forces were also on the move for an assault on Karachi, then Pakistan’s only port while Indian Air Force was also mobilised and deployed into offensive positions.

In a brilliant diplomatic move, Pakistan’s President and military dictator decided to visit India to witness a cricket match.

Behram Nam writes: “Pakistani President General Zia-ul-Haq arrived in New Delhi (enroute to Chennai to watch the Pakistan-India Test Match) without any invitation. At that time, Indian Prime Minister was not ready to meet General Zia at the Airport. Indian Army was waiting for PM orders for an Attack on Pakistan through the Rajasthan Sector. In such a situation, it was improper to meet the Pakistani President. But Opposition Leaders & Cabinet Members were of the view that despite that the Pakistani Leader arrived without any invitation; it will be against Diplomatic Norms not to meet him & would cause misunderstandings about the Indian leadership on an International Level.

On our persuasion, Rajiv Gandhi went to the Airport to receive the President of Pakistan. General Zia was accorded a lukewarm response from the Indian Prime Minister with an uninterested handshake without making any eye-contact. Rajiv Gandhi said to me, ‘Gen. Zia has to go to Chennai to watch the Cricket Match, so accompany him & take care of him’. I thought that Bhagwan how strong is this man, that inspite of an insulting behaviour from Rajiv Gandhi, Gen. Zia kept smiling.

Before his departure, Gen. Zia turned to Rajiv Gandhi and said, ‘Mr. Rajiv, you want to attack Pakistan, go ahead and do it. But keep in mind that after this the world would forget Hulagu Khan & Genghis Khan & will only remember Zia-ul-Haq & Rajiv Gandhi. Because this will not be a Conventional War but a Nuclear War. In this situation, Pakistan might be completely destroyed, but Muslims will still be there in the World, however with the destruction of India, Hinduism will vanish from the face of this earth’.

Cold-drops of perspiration were visible on Rajiv Gandhi’s forehead. I felt a chilling sensation in my backbone.”

Situation has not changed except that Pakistan will show tolerance and seek a diplomatic solution but if push comes to shove, Pakistan is not only equipped with nuclear weapons and also possesses second strike capability. Unless India is looking for a mutually assured destruction, in which the entire Hindu race will be wiped out from the face of the earth, it should put a leash on its dogs of war.